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Choosing the Speaker of the House
At the beginning of every new parliament, a Speaker is elected by the MPs. All MPs have a vote.
If one party has a clear majority of MPs and forms government, a member of that party is usually elected. However, in a case where there are more “opposition” MPs than government MPs, an opposition MP could be elected as Speaker. The new parliament is a “minority” parliament, which means that there are more opposition MPs in total than government MPs. Anything could happen.
I understand that at least a couple of MPs are seeking support from other MPs in order to get elected as Speaker. The Speaker in the last parliament was Hon Greg Fergus, an MP from the Ottawa area. This morning, he confirmed that he is running to be Speaker again. Greg has served many roles in parliament.
During my very first term as MP, Greg was a student and was serving as a student “Page” in the House of Commons. He would run errands for MPs and deliver messages from one MP to another. Pages provide a very valuable service, and at least once had a profound impact on my role as MP.
One of the MPs who has also publicly announced his candidacy for Speaker is Nova Scotia Conservative MP Chris d’Entremont. Chris served in the last parliament as Deputy Speaker.
Another MP who has indicated she would be open to being a candidate for Speaker is Elizabeth May, the leader of the Green Party. In the recent election, the Greens only won one seat• hers. She has been a very committed MP and a dedicated supporter of our parliamentary system.
One time, I visited her office and was surprised to learn that she did not have a desk in her own office. The office was full of volunteers working on “Green” issues. Her explanation was, “My desk is in the Chamber.”I think she spends more time in the Chamber than almost anyone else.
There are often surprises in these elections for Speaker, and it is not easy to predict who might win.
A Speaker’s main function is to maintain order and decorum in the House of Commons during debates, and they also enforce the rules of parliamentary procedure. Speakers decide who may speak, and when… and for how long. Any candidate for Speaker would need to be bilingual.
But that is just the beginning of the duties of a Speaker. The Speaker is the Administrative Head of the House of Commons and oversees all the administration for services for MPs, staff, and facilities. The Speaker chairs the Board of Internal Economy and manages the financial matters for the House of Commons.
The speaker also represents the House of Commons during official and ceremonial events, such as when foreign dignitaries visit the House of Commons. The Speaker also has the final say when there is a dispute in any of the many parliamentary committees.
In addition, the Speaker is responsible for the overall security of the House of Commons complex. The Speaker oversees maintenance, office space allocations, renovations, and even food services throughout the buildings that make up the House of Commons. I believe that the overall budget for the entire operation runs more than $600 million. It’s a very big job and a great deal of responsibility.
It will be very interesting to see who is elected as the next Speaker. Whoever is chosen accepts that the role is to be a neutral and nonpartisan position.
If one party has a clear majority of MPs and forms government, a member of that party is usually elected. However, in a case where there are more “opposition” MPs than government MPs, an opposition MP could be elected as Speaker. The new parliament is a “minority” parliament, which means that there are more opposition MPs in total than government MPs. Anything could happen.
I understand that at least a couple of MPs are seeking support from other MPs in order to get elected as Speaker. The Speaker in the last parliament was Hon Greg Fergus, an MP from the Ottawa area. This morning, he confirmed that he is running to be Speaker again. Greg has served many roles in parliament.
During my very first term as MP, Greg was a student and was serving as a student “Page” in the House of Commons. He would run errands for MPs and deliver messages from one MP to another. Pages provide a very valuable service, and at least once had a profound impact on my role as MP.
One of the MPs who has also publicly announced his candidacy for Speaker is Nova Scotia Conservative MP Chris d’Entremont. Chris served in the last parliament as Deputy Speaker.
Another MP who has indicated she would be open to being a candidate for Speaker is Elizabeth May, the leader of the Green Party. In the recent election, the Greens only won one seat• hers. She has been a very committed MP and a dedicated supporter of our parliamentary system.
One time, I visited her office and was surprised to learn that she did not have a desk in her own office. The office was full of volunteers working on “Green” issues. Her explanation was, “My desk is in the Chamber.”I think she spends more time in the Chamber than almost anyone else.
There are often surprises in these elections for Speaker, and it is not easy to predict who might win.
A Speaker’s main function is to maintain order and decorum in the House of Commons during debates, and they also enforce the rules of parliamentary procedure. Speakers decide who may speak, and when… and for how long. Any candidate for Speaker would need to be bilingual.
But that is just the beginning of the duties of a Speaker. The Speaker is the Administrative Head of the House of Commons and oversees all the administration for services for MPs, staff, and facilities. The Speaker chairs the Board of Internal Economy and manages the financial matters for the House of Commons.
The speaker also represents the House of Commons during official and ceremonial events, such as when foreign dignitaries visit the House of Commons. The Speaker also has the final say when there is a dispute in any of the many parliamentary committees.
In addition, the Speaker is responsible for the overall security of the House of Commons complex. The Speaker oversees maintenance, office space allocations, renovations, and even food services throughout the buildings that make up the House of Commons. I believe that the overall budget for the entire operation runs more than $600 million. It’s a very big job and a great deal of responsibility.
It will be very interesting to see who is elected as the next Speaker. Whoever is chosen accepts that the role is to be a neutral and nonpartisan position.